Moonscar: The Return
by Quazie89
Summary: After solving a peculiar ghost story in New Jersery, Mystery Inc. reluctantly returns to Moonscar Island, which, according to Beau,is getting some strange vistors...
1. PROLOGUE: Cat's Eyes

**Author's note: I wrote this for linklovesme, who kindly gave me all of those great reviews on my last Scooby Doo story.**

PROLOGUE:

Cat's Eyes

Darkness fell. As it did, a heavy fog drifted over Moonscar Island, bathing the mysterious isle in an eerie glow.

All of this ominous activity made a great recipe for a cool, nearly silent night. Though loons cried out over the bayou while crickets chirped around the old plantation, it was relatively peaceful.

However, this peace was about to be broken. It was destroyed when a cat suddenly slinked out of the fog.

The feline was a magnificent creature. Its midnight-black fur shown brightly under what little moonlight managed to leak through the island's cloudy atmosphere.

The cat flicked its bushy tail as it padded lightly across the swampy ground, seeing everything with its piercing, yellow eyes.

No one knew of the animal's destination except for the animal itself. It alone knew where her paws were taking her, and they were leading her to a very sacred area of Moonscar Island: the nearby woodland. Only there would the cat find what she sought.

On its way, however, the cat ran into something that hadn't been seen on the island for years: a human.

Startled by the sudden appearance of the two-legger, the cat hissed and raised its hackles.

The human didn't move, which was strange because, oddly enough, the human seemed more frightened of the cat.

Then again, the cat was ready to pounce. The human had a good reason to be scared.

A male scream erupted across the island as the cat leaped onto the human, attaching its claws to the man's neck.

Within seconds the human intruder was dead.


	2. ONE: Indians and Ghosts

ONE:

INDIANS AND GHOSTS

_Metuchen, New Jersey…_

It was summer. The temperature soared in the Mystery Machine as Fred Jones drove the van along a rough, dirt road. The Gang, which was about to investigate a hunted house that was nestled in a small town called Metuchen, was suffering in the scorching heat.

"Man, Scoob, I'm melting!" Shaggy Rogers exclaimed as sweat streamed down his face. Scooby barked an agreement.

"Right, Rhaggy," the large Great Dane concurred, lolling his large tongue over his bulging chin. Velma Dinkley, who was in the process of drying the sweat off of her lenses, breathed a sigh of despair.

"Come on, guys. We're almost there," she encouraged them, sliding the glasses back up on her small nose. Fred groaned from the driver's seat.

"Oh, great. It's another colonial town, guys," he said, causing Velma to shiver. She was remembering Oakheaven, the last colonial town they had visited. That trip hadn't turned out too perfectly…Velma had lost Ben…again…

Velma could've slapped herself for remembering Ben. The writer was dead now. A few months ago she had just seen his ghost…

"Hopefully it won't be another Oakheaven," Daphne Blake commented, unknowingly echoing Velma's thoughts.

"Hopefully," Fred muttered, but Velma saw his eyes lit up in the review mirror when they drove into the heart of Metuchen.

The town was gorgeous. Like the pilgrim exhibit in Oakheaven, it was dotted with colonial-style houses that, instead of being lined by paved streets, were connected by cobblestone roads.

"Now that's true history," Velma remarked, smiling as she gazed about the town. Houses and markets were smoothly flashing by.

"Fred, my man, do you think there's good food here?" Shaggy wondered.

"Reah, Rood," Scooby panted hopefully. Fred chuckled.

"I'm sure that they have plenty of food, guys. We got to find that house first, though," he said, momentarily crushing Shaggy's and Scooby's spirits. Velma decided to perk them up a bit.

"Don't worry guys. We'll get some food afterwards. As soon as we meet up with Mr. Kane were all set," she said.

"Rister Rane?" Scooby questioned, confused. Shaggy was scratching his head.

"Yeah, Scooby. He's the guy who Fred found in the phonebook when we were searching for more houses to explore in the area. He was kind enough to invite us into his home!" Daphne smartly pointed out. Velma pursed her lips.

Nevertheless, the intellegient girl was completely silent as Fred continued to drive. She wisely decided not to let her feelings show.

"That must be it," Fred announced sometime later as he drove the van up to a two-story house that seemed different from all the other buildings they had just witnessed.

"It's not as big as Rose Red but it's impressive," Daphne whispered in awe, stepping out of the car. Fred smiled at her as he shut his door behind him and walked up to her.

"It's not as impressive as you," he hissed in Daphne's ear, bending down to kiss her on the neck. Velma rolled her eyes.

"Yuck!" Scooby and Shaggy cried in unison. Velma was inclined to agree with them.

"Yuck is right, guys," she grumbled, stepping up to the house. As she got closer to the old building, she noticed that a fairly older gentleman was sitting on the porch. He was causally reclined in a rocking chair, watching as Velma and her friends approached him.

"Excuse me, sir, but are you Mr. Kane?" Fred asked the man, who raised a bushy eyebrow.

"I am. Are you the group that called the other day?" he asked. Velma nodded excitedly.

"You remembered! Is the investigation still on, then?" she wanted to know. Mr. Kane smiled.

"It is. Come on in and I'll give you a tour," he offered, rising painstakingly from his chair. Fred acknowledged the man's age for the first time.

"Do you need help, sir?" he asked, concerned. Kane's smile grew wider as he shook his head, which was full of white hair.

"I'm old but I'm not completely helpless. Come," he urged them, shuffling toward the door. After sharing an excited look with Fred and Daphne, Velma was the first to follow the man into the ancient house. The others were right behind her.

"Wow, this is a nice place. So, what's the story here?" Fred interrogated Kane, who suddenly appeared much younger as he started to tale the story.

"I love telling stories. Especially when they're about this place," he explained, sinking into an old cushioned chair that sat at the foot of the fireplace, which made the living room appear very fashionable.

"Thank you," Velma said gratefully as Kane told them to pull up a seat. There were just enough chairs for everyone.

"Now. I will begin. It all started on December first. The year was seventy-seventy-six," Kane began once everybody was seated. With a last intake of breath he commenced the story.

"Like I said, the story took place in seventy-seventy-six. During that time, the owners of this house, who were a couple named Jonathon and Mathilda, had a son named Allen. Now, December the first was Allen's birthday, and that was when he disappeared. He was ten years old, I believe.

"No one knew who had taken Allen. Some people accused the local Indians, who were fighting the War for Independence with the Americans and the British."

Kane paused for a moment. Velma decided to ask him a question.

"Do you think the Indians did it?" she pressed Kane curiously. The man shrugged.

"Nobody knows who did it. That's why this place is so out of whack. But I do know that the Indians were hanged. Remember that tree out front?" he said. Fred shuddered. He knew what the man meant. Miraculously, so did Shaggy and Scooby.

"Yikes, that's pretty heavy, Scoob," he whispered, glancing over at the Great Dane fearfully. The big dog nodded wordlessly.

"So what happened to Allen's parents?" Daphne dared to ask. Kane sighed wearily.

"They both still haunt this place. They're not the only ghosts, here. Oh, no. Upstairs there was a suicide hanging… and a solider died in this very room from war injuries…but they're all still here," he darkly told them. Fred smiled.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Mr. Kane. I'm sure that some local kids are just pulling pranks on you," he said, cringing at the glare that Velma shot him.

"Have a little respect, Freddy! I believe him. In fact, I'm going to solve this thing myself. I'm going to look for Mathilda," she vowed. Kane stopped her with a cough.

"She's buried under the tree. Go and see her alone," he advised in a low voice. Fred and Shaggy gulped but Velma just cracked a confident smile.

"All right, then. I will," she said, swaying out of the house with a sturdy stride. No one made a move to stop her.

* * *

It was darker outside when Velma stepped out of the house. As she stepped down off the porch, she started to wonder how long they had been in there.

Deciding that they hadn't been listening to Kane for long (just an hour or so!), she walked to the side of the house, where the tree stood. She glanced down and saw the mound of dirt that was built up around the surrounding grass. There was no grave.

Velma, despite being strangely saddened when she discovered this, closed her eyes and began to speak. "Mathilda, if you can hear me this is Velma. I just wanted to ask you something about your son…Do you think the Indians took him?" she asked the air timidly.

For sometime everything was silent. Then, when Velma was about to give up on the whole thing, a misty shape appeared before her. Before long the shape was changing into the form of a woman, a _very beautiful_ woman.

Velma gaped at the spirit, completely caught off guard by the sheer beauty of its womanly figure, which was covered by a colonial dress. The woman also wore her long, auburn hair down to her waist.

"Why have you called me, child?" the woman, who must be Mathilda, demanded. Velma scowled at being called a child.

"Your son. Did the Indians take him?" she asked the question once more. Mathilda shook her head.

"The Indians didn't do it. They're innocent," she revealed. Velma became energized.

"Then who did?" she prompted, feeling guilty when Mathilda hung her head.

"It was his father…" she moaned, and vanished into the wind. Velma was so shocked that she couldn't move.

The rest of the Gang came out to check on her not too long after that. They repeatedly asked her what was wrong and Velma kept on telling them she was fine. When she told them what she learned, Kane's face turned dim.

"I should've known. Jonathon was always too bold for his own good. Come in the house. I'll fix you something to eat," the old man said. Fred shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't want to bother you any further. We've got to be going anyway. It's getting dark," he said, ignoring the whimpers that Shaggy and Scooby were producing.

"We've got to give these two clowns some fast food anyway," Daphne said, smiling. Kane grinned tiredly in understanding.

"Oh, very well then. I, to, have known the pangs of hunger. I wouldn't wish to see these two starving," he said, winking at Scooby and Shaggy, who beamed.

"Like, thanks, mister! It was nice meetin' ya," he said, waving at Kane as he and Scooby loped back to the Mystery Machine, which was calmly waiting for them at the edge of the road.

**Author's note: The events that took place in this chapter (Allen's disappearance, for example) were based on a true occurrence. Kane, Mathilda and her husband and son were real people but I greatly fictionalized them for the purpose of this story only. To learn more about the Metuchen Ghost read Han's Holzer's Ghosts: True encounters with the world beyond. It's a truly fascinating book. It's also fat and juicy! **


	3. TWO: Beau

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate them! **

TWO:

Beau

Just outside of Metuchen, Fred found a small gas station that sold fast food. It was night, now, and the station was just an hour from closing.

"Hurry up and eat, guys. We got to run," Daphne told Shaggy and Scooby as the two goons piled out of the van, which Fred was filling up with gas. Shaggy nodded.

"No problem, Daph," he replied, strolling into the station. His lengthy arms and legs were swinging all over the place. Daphne shook her head at the sight.

"Someone's got to go watch those two," she said. Velma nodded at her.

"I will. I don't mind paying for the gas," she replied. Daphne smiled brightly.

"Why, thank you Velma! That's so sweet of you!" she gushed, making Velma's cheeks blush slightly. She hated it when Daphne talked to her like that!

"Oh, Daph. Here, Velms, this should be enough to pay for it," Fred muttered, fishing some cash out of one of his pockets. Velma took the wad of bills he handed to her and quickly rushed into the store.

When she stepped inside, Velma's mouth twitched in surprise. Shaggy and Scooby were gorging on the food that had been displayed at the front of the store. They were quickly eating everything that the station had in stock!

"Jinkies! You guys must've been hungry!" she exclaimed, giggling. There was a deep chuckle behind her.

"I know that laugh," a smoothing, welcoming voice said, and Velma swirled around, unable to believe who she was seeing.

"Beau? I can't believe it! It's so nice seeing you again!" she said joyously, holding out a trembling hand. Beau grabbed it in a firm but friendly grip.

"Its nice seeing you again, too, Velma. It's been too long!" he said, releasing her hand to run his bulbous fingers through his raven hair, which had grown quite a bit since the last time Velma had seen it.

"I like what you've done with your hair. What have you been up to lately?" she asked, trying not to sound rude. Beau gave her a warm smile.

"Nothing much. I do need to tell you, though, that I have been going back and forth to Moonscar Island for the past couple of months," he revealed. Velma shuddered.

"Why? We already took care of the problem there," she said, remembering Simone, the mad cat woman, and her friend Lena. The two women had nearly killed Velma and her friends.

Beau sighed. "I know, I know, but I occasionally go back to check up on old Snakebite. The man doesn't like me but I think he's an unusual bitter person. He amuses me for some reason," he said. Velma shook her head.

"So how are things going over there?" she asked. Beau's expression turned a bit brighter.

"People are starting to move back onto the island. Nice people. Strange, but nice. There have been reports though," he trailed off. Velma was intrigued.

"What kind of reports?" she wondered.

"Odd ones…very odd. Even Snakebite reported he saw something unusual prowling around the swamp one day. He said that it looked like an overgrown cat," he grunted. Velma groaned.

"Great. More cats," she said, glancing behind her to see if Scooby and Shaggy were done. When she saw that her two friends had eaten everything in sight, she turned back to Beau.

"Can you help pay for those two?" she asked the masculine man teasingly. He laughed.

"It's on me," he said. Velma was extremely grateful.

"Thank you. Could we go out on a date sometime?" she voiced the question without thinking. Beau's eyes were glowing.

"Sure. I can take you and the gang back to the bayou to check up on that cat creature. While we're there, we can spend some time together," he said. Velma was overcome with joy.

_Yes!_ she thought, grinning. Beau grinned back. Velma was overwhelmed by heavenly bliss.

* * *

"Look who I met up with in there, guys!" Velma shouted as she ran out of the store. Beau was right behind her, dragging along Scooby and Shaggy as they desperately tried to crawl back into the station.

"Fred, look! I don't believe it! It's Beau!" Daphne cried out, practically throwing herself at the private detective. Fred made a face.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly across his wide chest. Daphne didn't notice his complaints.

"Why, Beau, it's nice seeing you again!" she said, glowing with excitement as Beau embraced her in a swift hug.

"It's nice to see you, too, Daphne. Hello, Fred!" he called out to the leader of Mystery Inc. Fred nodded slowly.

"It's been awhile, Beau. What have you been up to?" he said. Beau shrugged his broad shoulders.

"I'm still doing detective work, if that's what you mean," he replied, and began to tell Fred and the others all the mysterious stuff that was going on at Moonscar Island. Like Velma, the rest of the gang didn't like the news either.

"This sounds like a job for us!" Fred said when Beau was finished. Velma noticed how fast Fred's mood had changed.

"Right, Freddy! I agree! Tonight we can stay at a hotel and take off in the morning!" the bespectacled girl responded, feeling extremely adventurous all of a sudden. The rest of the Gang shouted a chorus of agreement and, within seconds, they were in the Mystery Machine.

"Everybody settled in? Great. We're off!" Fred announced as he started up the engine. Moments later the van was driving off into the warm, summer night.


	4. THREE: Swift Shadows

THREE:

Swift Shadows

Snakebite cursed as he watched the fish dart around the boat. The stubborn creature was taunting him, daring him to jump into the water after it.

"You can't run away for long, mate! I'll get ye,'" the grumpy Australian man vowed as he shook his hat at the fish, which seemed to be laughing at him.

It was a perfect day for fishing. The sun hung high in the sky, which was a cloudless blue. A good, cool breeze was blowing by, too. It was tugging at Snakebite's straggly blond hair as he grudgingly leaned over the railing of the boat.

The Australian was roughly cursing at the fish with every breath he took when he suddenly heard the sound of a puttering engine. Looking toward land, Snakebite snarled as he saw the van that was pulling to a stop at the dock that overlooked the bayou.

"Ah, no! Not those blokes again," he grumbled, stomping to the other side of the boat in order to get a better look. He knew who was inside that vehicle, which was painted too darn brightly for his taste.

Wincing each time the van's doors opened and closed, Snakebite's expression twitched angrily as he watched each member of Mystery Inc. step out of the van. When they got to the dock, he moaned in despair.

"What do ye' want?" he snapped. The blond-haired man, who was obviously the leader of the group, tried to put on a friendly smile.

"If it's not too much to ask, could you give us a ride?" the young man politely asked. Snakebite couldn't stand the kid's no good smart attitude.

"Yea, sure. Whatever. I've been bloody trying to catch this blasted fish for the past darn hour and I don't have no bloody luck," he griped, turning away. Reluctantly, he started the boat up and turned it around, knowing that the kids were going to be in for a nasty surprise when they got to land.

* * *

As the boat sailed through the water, Fred propped his elbows up over the railing. For some unusual reason he had a really bad feeling about this whole trip.

"Hi, Freddy. Something wrong?" Daphne asked, smoothly walking up behind him. Fred turned to look at her and smiled.

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm just tired," he yawned, blinking drowsiness from his eyes. The drive from the hotel felt like it had been a month long trip. Fred knew, though, that it hadn't taken them nearly that long to drive to Louisiana.

"Maybe this will wake you up," Daphne whispered, pressing her lips against his. Fred blinked in surprise.

"What was that for?" he asked, completely bewildered. Daphne flashed him a dazzling smile.

"Oh, nothing. I was just in a mood for a little romance," she teased, twitching her nose at him.

'Why are you flirting with me for? I thought you like Beau?' Fred said, putting a lot of venom on the last word. Daphne shook her head.

"I do like Beau. I admit that, but Fred…I love you more," she said. Fred couldn't help but smile.

"I'm glad," he said, and bent his head down toward Daphne. They were in the middle of another lengthy kiss when Snakebite suddenly announced that they were on land.

"He's gotta be the most grumpy guy we've ever met," Fred muttered. Daphne giggled.

"Let's go," she said, leading Fred off the boat. The rest of the Gang was already standing on the other side of the bayou.

"All right, ye' blokes, get out of here! I've got no more business with ye'!" Snakebite cried, starting up the boat once more to sail away from them. Fred shook his head as the ill-tempered Australian departed.

"That guy has some issues. Come on, Daph," he said and, taking Daphne by the hand, lead the group deep into Moonscar's dark, imposing forest.

* * *

They walked for hours and hours. As they did, the day slowly waned and darkness crept upon them. Daphne was starting to think that they were going in circles when something unexpectedly disturbed a copse of nearby bushes.

"Like, what was that?" Shaggy whimpered, placing one of his dangly hands over his quivering lips. Scooby began to whine.

"Reah, what was rat?" the big dog fearfully asked. Fred closed his eyes in thought.

"I have no idea…" he muttered, trailing off as shock flickered across his handsome face.

"What's wrong Fred?" Daphne asked, squeezing one of Fred's clammy hands.

"It's a cat. Listen…it's purring," he croaked, and everyone fell silent. Sure enough, after a few moments, they could plainly hear the strident hum of a cat's purr.

"That's pretty loud for a cat," Velma said, creeping up toward the bushes. Fred moved to stop her.

"Velms, wait!" he protested, falling silent when Velma continued to advance upon the bush. She was about to reach her hand out to touch it when, suddenly, a swift shadow darted out from behind the bush. The gang watched in disbelief as it disappeared into the wood.

"Jinkies! Now that was very mysterious," Velma muttered to herself, backing away from the bush. She was half expecting the thing to move again when an unknown person leapt onto the scene.

"Hey, who are you? Are you in trouble?" the new visitor asked, making everyone jump.

Fred, awkwardly addressing the visitor, asked the strange man, "Yeah, we're fine, just a bit startled. What was that?"

The stranger's face turned grim. "That was the Cat Demon. It has been haunting us ever since we came to this Island. Come with me to my people and I will tell you more," he said.

Fred, not knowing if this was a good or bad thing, gulped. "All right. Does that sound okay with you guys?" he questioned.  
The rest of the gang, having no other choice, nodded in consent. They knew a good mystery when they saw one.


	5. FOUR: The Swamp People

FOUR:

The Swamp People

It didn't take long for the strange man to lead them out of the woods. He had brought them to a familiar clearing that was clearly being occupied by a large, ancient house which was covered in vines and foliage.

"Whoa, what happened to this place?" Fred asked, bewildered. Beau answered his question.

"No one came to take care of it. I didn't even have time to clean the lawn…I was running so much…but these people seem to like it," he said, glancing over at the strange man, who was admiring the house with great pride.

"Do you know this guy?" Fred whispered into Beau's ear. The private detective laughed.

"Sure I do. He's name's Clen. He's the Chief of the Swamp People," he said. Fred frowned.

"The Swamp People?" he hissed. Beau nodded.

"Yeah. I wouldn't lie to you, Fred. Clen will tell you more about this later, though," the detective replied. Fred fell silent.

"Here come some of my people!" Clen announced suddenly, pointing excitedly back at the woods. Everyone swerved around to see who was coming out from behind the trees.

"Jinkies! They're covered in mud!" Velma gasped. Daphne put a hand over her mouth.

"Why would they want to do that for?" she croaked, her eyes widening in horror. Fred put a comforting arm around her.

"It's okay. I'm here," he reminded her.

"Zoinks! Scooby, look! They're coming for us!" Shaggy whimpered as Scooby darted behind the tall man's legs.

"Rhelp, Rhaggy!" the dog whined, placing his paws over his wavering eyes. Beau attempted to calm them down.

"It's all right, guys. I know these people. They're friends. They'll take us in," he assured them.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Clen asked, his speech slightly slurred. Velma doubted that these people had had much education since they colonized here. She was surprised that the Chief had such a great grasp on his English.

"Um, yeah, that would be great," Fred said, feeling greatly relieved. He was more than ready to turn in for the night.

* * *

The Swamp People were colonized much further into the wood. Clen, who lead them back deeper into the forest, didn't stop until they reached a familiar-looking lake. The gang gaped in horror at the haunting body of water that lay before them.

"Rikes, Rhaggy! Rombie rake!" Scooby cried. Shaggy understood.

"Yeah, Scoob. Like, this is where those zombies attacked us!" he groaned. Fred scowled at them.

"Come on, guys. The zombies are gone," he confidently told his trembling friends as they studied the cluster of mud/brick houses that were dotted around the lake. All the trees had been cleared out around the area to make room for the homes, which had hay-thatched roofs and no windows.

"Yes, Now we have a new creature terrorizing us," Clen said mournfully, shaking his head. Velma gave him a questioning look.

"Could you tell us more about that now?" she wondered. Clen nodded at her.

"Yes. Come into my home and I will tell you all about it," he promised, and lead them to his little hut, which was a bit separated from the others, for it was the one farthest from the lake.

"Visitors first," Clen said, opening the wooden door that served as the entrance to his little hut. The gang stepped inside.

"This is kind of small," Fred said, flinching as Daphne punched him.

The leader of Mystery Inc was right, though. The inside of Clen's little hut _was _small and very tight. There was hardly room for Beau and all five members of Mystery Inc and their new friend.

Fortunately, there was only one chair that the gang was forced to brush up against. There was also one bed and a small pot that Velma figured was used for bath water.

"Yes, it is a bit small but that's how I like it," Clen said, sitting down in the only chair that was in sight. Smiling sheepishly, the Chief motioned for the gang to sit on the large rug that was placed before his chair.

"Comfy?" he inquired once they were all seated.

"Very," Fred said, crossing his legs in Indian style. The rest of the gang echoed his movements and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Wait, how come you're not covered in mud like the others?" Daphne asked timidly. Clen smiled at her.

"I'm the Chief. I must not be the same as the others. Still, I wear a loincloth like everybody else," he informed them, patting his lap. Velma noticed how white his skin was. White and ghostly…

Trying to suppress a shudder, she cleared her throat and said, "Could you please tell us your story now?"

"Certainly," Clen said, and began to tell them the tale behind the Cat Demon…

* * *

"My people came to this place in the hopes that we would have peace. The outside world had tortured us so greatly that we decided to isolate ourselves from civilization. We realized that was a mistake when we came here.

"Shortly after our arrival, we were haunted by a creature that sneaked through the night like a demon! It started to eat our people.

"Unfortunately, no one knows much about this beast. We do believe, however, that it came from deep within the flower house you saw earlier," Glen finished his story. Velma's mind started to work.

"Guys, I think Simone and Lena still have a surviving accomplice," she theorized, scrolling her eyes to the ceiling when her friends gave her petrified looks.

"Velma! Don't talk like that!" Fred cried hoarsely. Daphne nodded.

"Yes, Velma! Don't scare us like that!" she said. Scooby and Shaggy were frantically bobbing their heads up and down in fear. Clen was staring at them curiously.

"Do you know someone who's behind this?" he asked. Beau slowly nodded.

"We might…but we'll think about this tomorrow. Now, we need our sleep," he said. Clen didn't seem to mind.

"That's a good idea. You guys can stay here. I don't mind," he said, ending the night for good.


	6. FIVE:Moonel

FIVE:

Moonel

Velma was the first to wake up that morning. She realized she awoke _too_ early when she stepped outside. The sun hadn't even had time to fully rise and an early morning fog hung over the lake.

Smiling at the sight, which was slightly beautiful, Velma stretched her arms and pointed her face toward the sky. She was relishing the feel of the wind on her face when she suddenly heard footsteps from behind her.

It was Beau. Velma could tell by the sound of the man's feet hitting the grass, which rustled greatly with every step he took.

"Hi, Velma. Up a little early, aren't you?" he asked her, playfully tugging at her orange sweater. Velma laughed.

"Yeah, I guess so. You're up early, too, I see," she said, looking up at him.

"So I am. I just couldn't sleep last night," he yawned. Velma laughed at the sight of his tousled hair.

"We need to find you a brush –"she began, but stopped as an ear-piercing shriek cut through the air, startling her and Beau both. The private detective jumped into action.

"Stay close to me," he said, pulling a gun out. Velma clutched at one of his bulging arms as something started to approach them from the wood. It was getting closer and closer…

"It's the demon," Velma whispered as the creature prowled upon them. Beau quickly spun around and aimed his gun at the feline.

"Its no use, human. It's going to take more than bullets to kill me," it said. Velma and Beau could only gape at the beast as it slowly started to change into a human.

"You're a woman," Beau said, anger rising in his voice. Velma, unable to take her eyes off of the beauty that was standing before them, surveyed the woman, who had long, black hair and slanted, green eyes. She also had a pale, pointed face which was decorated with a long nose and full, red lips.

"How did you figure that out, Sherlock? You think that badge that you have stashed in your pocket actually makes you superior to me! Ha! I think not!" the cat woman cackled, swaying up to them while twisting her hips in a seductive manner. Beau was absolutely furious.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his gun shaking in his hands. The woman laughed.

"I am Moona, the Last Cat God. You see, Velma, when you defeated my worshippers, they forgot all about poor me. They had abandoned Moonel and left her all alone in that big spooky house!" she wailed. Velma winced.

"I think your overreacting," she muttered. Moonel glared balefully at her.

"That's the last thing I'm doing, Miss Smarty Breeches! What I have said is all true! Oh, I forgot, did you notice that last night was a full moon?' she jeered at Velma tauntingly.

Velma, slowly starting to smile, said, "Yes, I did. I'm also aware that you can only change during the full moon. Your powers are not so strong during the day," she said slyly. Beau was staring at her in amazement.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. Velma hushed him.

"You can barely give us a scratch," she said. Moonel wailed again. As she did, the rest of the gang stepped out of the hut. Clen, who was right behind him, looked a little worried.

"What has happened?" he asked, his brown eyes large with fear. No one had time to answer his question.

"I will show you what I'm capable of, human!" Moonel screeched, and lunged at Velma. Fortunately, just as the cat woman leaped, Beau placed himself in front of Velma. In a flash, he brought something out of one of his pockets.

"A stake? What are you doing with a stake?!" Velma cried whenever Beau held the weapon out in front of him. The private detective chuckled.

"I'm a detective. I have to have many ways to defend myself. I got this shortly before I came to New Jersey, where I was planning on doing some research on a group of vampire worshippers. I chose to forget my research at the very moment I met you in the station," he said, gripping the sake tightly in his hands. Velma was sighing with relief.

"Thank goodness we ran into you!" she whispered. Moonel was lunging at them…

With a loud grunt, Beau plunged the stake into Moonel's chest, forcing the cat woman to collapse to the ground as she clutched at the burning hole in her chest.

"Ahhh! How did you do it..." the cat woman wailed as her voice faded and faded until she was finally gone. Beau let out a winded sigh.

"And that takes care of that…" he wheezed, and collapsed to the ground. Velma, shocked, bent down over him.

Moonel had somehow managed to gauge her claws into Beau's chest, which was drenched in blood.

Velma, thinking of the date Beau had promised her, quickly began to patch him up. Her friends helped by carrying the big guy back into the hut. He didn't wake up until two days afterwards


	7. SIX: A Final Date

SIX:

A Final Date

Beau slowly forced his eyes open. When he could see, he glanced about the room and quickly spotted Velma at his side. She was slouched over a chair, struggling to stay awake.

"V-Velma…I'm a-awake…" he stammered a little, and Velma's head shot straight up. Joy flashed in her bright eyes.

"Beau! Oh, thank goodness! I'm so glad you're awake!" she whispered, scuttling to the floor. Beaming with happiness, she clasped one of his slackened hands.

"Yeah…h-how long was I o-out?" he whispered, still trying to control his stuttering.

"Two days. I really thought Moonel had you done…everybody else did, too," Velma said, brushing a lock of black hair out of his face.

Smiling a little, he said, "Where are you friends? They didn't run off did they?" he asked. Velma smiled.

"Oh, no. They're just outside roasting something that one of Clen's men caught yesterday. We also burnt Moonel's body," she supplied. Beau closed his eyes.

"I'm glad s-she's n-not t-terrorizing these people anymore," he whispered, gripping at his shirt, which was gone. It had been replaced by a row of bandages that crisscrossed all around his torso.

"Yeah, me too. Can you get up?" Velma asked. Beau made a small shrug.

"I can try. I might need some help, though," he said, and Velma was quick to aid him.

"It's nice to see you up again," Clen said once Velma had gotten Beau outside. Beau nodded at the chief.

"It's nice to be up. I never thought that I would move again. What are you fixing, Shaggy?" Beau queried. Shaggy glanced over at the man in surprise.

"Like, some giant bird, man! That's all I know!" he said, turning his back upon the meat, which was being turned by a couple of Clen's men as they aimlessly twirled a stick that hung over a fire.

"Its nearly done if you want some," Fred offered. Beau shook his head.

"I'm not hungry. Actually, I want to get dress and have a talk with Velma," he said. Velma grinned at him.

"A talk sounds nice," she agreed, and lead Beau back into the hut.

* * *

The day wore on. Darkness had fallen upon them once more as Velma and Beau had a heartwarming conversation under the stars. Fred and Daphne were also discussing their romantic interests while Scooby and Shaggy pigged out on the meat.

When the night started to grow long, Velma asked Beau, "Where are you going to go after we leave here?" Beau, who had been staring down at his suit, looked up distractedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Velma. I was listening…but I really don't know what I'm going to do. I thought about going back to New Jersey to do more research…but I'm really not sure," he said. Velma fiddled with a cask of water.

"That sounds good. The Gang will probably just head back to Coolsville for awhile and rest up. This has been some trip," she said. Beau agreed.

"Yeah. It's been a rather strange trip as well. I plan on leaving early tomorrow," he muttered. Velma stared at him quizzically.

"Why are you in such a rush for?" she wondered.

Beau replied, "Oh, its nothing. I just like to travel…oh, look, it's getting rather late. We better tidy up," he said, starting to rise. Velma offered to help him.

"Here, let me help you up," she said, and helped Beau up from the ground, which they had been sitting on for the past couple of hours or so. Velma wished that the night could've lasted longer.

* * *

The next morning, Velma woke up to find Beau gone. The private detective had kept his promise. He had left before any of them.

"Don't worry, Velma. I'm sure he had his reasons," Daphne was telling Velma. The two girls were mingling with Clen and his men before departing from the island. Velma sighed.

"I'm sure your right. He did leave me this rose, after all," she said, taking a sniff of the vibrant, crimson rose that Beau had left next to her bedside. Daphne gave her friend an encouraging smile.

"See?" the redhead said, turning her gaze back upon Fred, who was talking with the Chief. Velma listened closely to the conversation.

"So you're staying here? Are you sure?" Fred was prompting Clen, who nodded.

"We have to stay here. The human world does not accept us. We were lucky to meet a few who did," he said, smiling at Mystery Inc. Fred understandingly inclined his head at the Chief.

"I don't blame you. I would stay here, too, if this place wasn't so muddy and depressing," he said. Daphne punched him in the ribs.

"I want a big, expensive house," she hissed. Fred gulped.

"Like, can we go, man? Scooby and I are getting hungry!" Shaggy announced. Scooby barked excitedly.

"Reah, Rhungry!" the dog emphasized. The gang shared a thunderous laugh that echoed across the island. At last, things seemed normal and they were finally going home.

* * *

Snakebite was horrified when he saw that Mystery Inc. was still alive. The gang practically had to beg the Australian to give them another ride back to shore.

"Ye' all a bunch of meddlin' kids! That's all ye' are," the grumpy fisherman griped as he steered the boat up to the dock. Once the gang was on the boat, which Snakebite was quick to maneuver, Daphne engaged in a quick conversation with Fred.

"I was joking about the house," she said. Fred smirked at her.

"Oh, I knew that! I was just amusing you," he joked. Daphne knew he was fibbing with her.

"Sure you were," she said, letting her shoulders slump as Fred hugged her close.

"You'll be more amused when we get home," he promised her. Daphne let her mind run wild.

THE END

**Author's Note: Well, that's all for now! I hope everyone enjoyed it. Once again I would like to think everyone who reviewed. You guys are awesome!**


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